Rethinking Social Justice

In the past few months the world has witnessed disturbing situations in the news such as genocide in Sudan; the sexual exploitation of innocent young girls; hunger on the streets of our cities; ongoing wars; the continuing pollution of our environment; immorality in the leadership of states and nations; and even the recent killing of an American university student just for her debit card.

The cause of injustice in the world is a social problem: People have a distorted view of the world, so they misjudge the value of human life and the importance of basic human rights. Yet the problem of social injustice is initially a problem of the heart: People need deliverance from themselves—from selfish desires, false beliefs, and inherent sinfulness.

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He walked among the regular people and hung out with the social outcasts. Others criticized him for eating with sinners, but He was unfazed. He had compassion on those who were financially poor, spiritually weak, and physically unwell. To Jesus—regardless of age, gender, social standing, race, or ability—all people were potential children of God.

The religious leaders were angry because Jesus rejected their limited view of the world.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were angry with Him because He rejected their limited view of the world and unfair treatment of different types of people. When they brought a woman who had been caught in an adulterous affair to Jesus and demanded that she be hit with stones according to their laws, Jesus had a two-fold answer for the problem:

First, Jesus unraveled the social problem. He said to the religious leaders, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). At this, the accusers had to do some self-reflection. None of them had a sinless life, so none could cast a stone. They realized that, in the eyes of God, they were equal with her.

Billy Graham says, “Rank and social distinction meant nothing to [Jesus Christ]. It was for man as man that Christ cared. In taking our human nature upon Himself, He showed us what we might become, what God intended us to be.”

Next, Jesus exposed the problems of the heart. The adulterous woman had been unfaithful to her marriage covenant. But Jesus did not give up on her. As soon as the accusing leaders had left, He turned to her and said, “Neither do I condemn you.” Then He said, “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11).

Christ demanded that this woman change the direction of her life because she was going down a path of unfaithfulness and self-interest, a path that would leave her unfulfilled. Christ wanted the best life for her, but He told her to do something very difficult, to alter her way of living.

Jesus taught those around Him to deepen their social consciousness.

Jesus taught those around Him to deepen their social consciousness and view others by God’s standards instead of the world’s standards. The Bible says, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

So how can we adjust our viewpoint?

ASK GOD TO HELP YOU SEE THE WORLD THE WAY HE SEES IT

The only way that we will be motivated to bring social justice into the world is if we first personally receive love, forgiveness, and justice. If there is no inward change, then there will be no outward action.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can receive the capacity to love others.

Jesus Christ asks that we love God with all our hearts, minds, and strength and love our neighbors as we love ourselves. But He gives us the power to do this. When we commit our lives to Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we receive the capacity to love our neighbors. As we love our neighbors, we will have more effect on the social structure than any other thing we could possibly do.

Would you like to commit or recommit your life to Christ? Call 925-945-0395 to pray with someone.

SHOW CHRIST'S LOVE BY THE WAY YOU LIVE

Billy Graham says, “The fruit of a new life is love for one’s neighbor, which leads to social action.”

To love others like Christ did, we must understand the sorrows of people around us and identify with their temptations and struggles. We can be a compassionate and supportive presence during difficult times.

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar.”

If we inflict shame on people because of their sins or constantly accuse people of their weaknesses, then we cannot call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ.

The Bible says, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:20-21).

Jesus wanted people to be more sensitive to unfair situations in the world. The social order angered Jesus, so the social order of today should anger us too. But we must use our frustration properly and demonstrate it with love.

• Educate yourself about the needs around you. Jesus took time to understand what was going on around Him. As followers of Christ, we should be informed and educated about situations of injustice everywhere.

We should be informed and educated about worldwide injustice.

Billy Graham says, “Too many professed Christians never get ‘wrought up’ about anything; they never get indignant with injustice, with corruption in high places, or with the godless traffics which barter away the souls and bodies of men.”

• Pray for those in need around the world. Even though you might not be able to go to Sudan and change the government there, or stop the driver in front of you from throwing his trash out of his car window, or change the problems of racism, violence, and greed, you can educate yourself about these situations and pray for God's will to be done. If you are educated and actively praying about specific acts of injustice, then you will be able to take the next steps toward their resolution.
• Ask God how He can use you to change the world. Do what you can to make the world a better place, whether that means giving of your time to your neighbors in your community or money to those in need across the globe.
• Ask God to show you the talents that He has given you, and use those gifts in a practical way to benefit others.
• Ask God to show you the gifts that He has given you. The Bible says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:16-18).
• Tell others about God’s love, educate them about injustice, and ask them to join with you in making the world a better place. Jesus came to earth that God’s light would shine through Him. In the same way, we must reflect Christ. The world doesn’t care much what we believe. They only know what they see—our actions.

Billy Graham says, “Certainly we as Christian citizens have no right to be content with our social order until the principles of Christ are applied to all men. As long as there is enslaved one man who should be free, as long as slums and ghettos exist, as long as any person goes to bed hungry at night, as long as the color of a man’s skin is his prison, there must be a divine discontent.”

If people would surrender their lives to Jesus Christ and begin living out His teachings in their daily relationships, then the world would change, one heart at a time.

—by Ann Marie Chilton

Bgea.com

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